Wire fence.



NFTE STATES PATENT FFICE.

HERMAN MARTIN, OF VERMILION, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND JOSEPH O.GILOHRIST, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

WIRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,632, dated November21, 1899-.

Application filed March 2, 1899- To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN MARTIN, of Vermilion, in the county of Erieand State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Wire Fence, of whichthe following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a wire fence in which therunning-wires will be eifectually stayed against each other, thus toprevent the wires from spreading, and this end I attain by means of astay which is first constructed in the form of an angular volute with acrimp at each angle, and which is applied to the running wires bybending the crimps of the stay around the respective wires and securingthe ends respectively to the top and bottom stays. 1

This specification is the disclosure of one form of my invention, whilethe claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side View of a fence having. my improvement applied. Fig.2 is a view of the stay before it is applied to the fence. Fig. 3 is aview illustrating the manner of securing the ends of the stay to thefence. Fig. 4: is a view of the crimping tool employed in securing thestay; and Fig. 5 is a view of a second tool, also used in securing thestay.

As shown in Fig. 2, the stay when first formed is produced of anintegral length of pliable wire, bent into a series ofsuccessively-shortened runs 6 and having at each bend a kink 7, the formof such kink being best shown in Fig. 3, which gives a fragmentary viewof the stay. Each kink comprises two bends forming a straightlaterally-extended portion running approximately at right angles to thecontiguous runs 6 of the stay and placing the said runs out of planewith each other, so that the kinks may be turned around the severalrunning wires, and thus cause the stay to assume a position relative tothe wires as shown in Fig. 1.

The running-wires 8 of the fence are formed with a number of diagonalbonds or kinks 9 therein, which kinks are adapted to engage with thecorresponding kinks 7, as best shown Serial No. 707,469. (No model.)

in Fig. 3, so that the stays and running=wires are locked together. Forthe purpose of forming the kinks 9 I provide a crimping-tool, comprisinga shank 10 with a handle 11 at one end and a bifurcated stud 12 at theother end, the stud 12 being adapted to engage with the wire to twistthe same, and thus produce the kink. The crimping-tool shown in Fig. 4is also useful, as illustrated in Fig. 3--which is to say, to turn downthe short ends of the stays.

When the stay is applied to the fence, the ends of the stay will projectas shown with respect to the upper end of the stay in Fig. 3. These endsshould now be bent inwardly to assume the form shown in Fig. 1, which iseffected by engaging the stud 12 of the crimping-tool with the end ofthe stay and turning the crimping-tool, as indicated by the dotted linesin Fig. 3. For further handling the stay I provide a bending tool,(shown in Fig. 5,) which has a handle portion 14 with a body 15, havingalongitudinal passage 16 produced 1 therein, which passage is adapted toreceive the ends of the stay for the purpose of bending the ends aroundthe adjacent running wires.

A fence thus constructed is rendered durable and cheap. The staysprevent the running-wires from spreading, and owing to the peculiar formof the crimps it is impossible for the stays to slide on therunning-wires.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A stay for wire fences, the stay being formed ofan integral length of wire bent into the form of an angular volute, eachangle of the said volute having a kink thereat, which kinks are eachproduced by two bends, forming a straight laterally-extended portionbetween them, thus placing the contiguous runs of the stay out of planewith each other.

2. A stay for wire fences, the stay having a number of runs with kinkssituated between the runs, such kinks being formed by two bends,producing a straight laterally-extended portion disposed approximatelyat right angles to the contiguous runs of the stay and being capable ofbeing turned around the running-wires of the fence.

3. A fence, having running-wires formed with a number of diagonal kinkstherein, and

'a stay having a number of kinks respectively turned around the kinks ofthe running-wires, whereby to secure the stays to the running- Wires,the kinks of the stays being formed of two bends producing a straightlaterally-extending portion disposed approximately at right angles tothe contiguous runs of thestay,

whereby when, the kinks of the running-wires :0 and stay areinterlocked, the stays. are prevented from sliding on the wires and theWires are held from spreading.

HERMAN MARTIN.

' -Witnessesr H. R. WILLIAMS,

GEO. I-I. ENGELBERG.

